Infiniti teams up with RedBull

Infiniti Redbull Renault?  Infiniti, Nissans’ luxury brand, will be joining the RedBull Renault F1 team for the 2011-2012 seasons.  The deal brings a reported £15 million per year (about 24.3M $US or 17.5M Euros) to the team, as well as technical collaboration and marketing presence.  The new deal mirrors RedBull’s existing engine contract with Renault through 2012.

The Renault engines will not be re-branded. Instead, Infiniti logos and signage will replace those of Renault on the cars, drivers’ uniforms, equipment and the like. The goal, according to Infiniti’s senior VP Andy Palmer, "Over the mid-term, Infiniti will be simultaneously expanding its global presence and broadening its product range. Given these twin ambitions, it is clear that Formula One offers us an unrivalled global communications platform, complementing Infiniti's ethos of Inspired Performance. We are excited to have the opportunity to enter Formula One together with a world-class team like Red Bull Racing Renault.

It should be noted that Nissan and Renault have been business partners since forming an alliance in March of 1999.  Renault Sport F1 President Bernard Rey, "While Renault is rightfully very proud of our achievements within Formula One, we know the future is about collaboration. To have a talented and committed Alliance partner like Infiniti is very welcome as we set out on the current and future challenges in Formula One. So it is with great pleasure that I would like to welcome Andy Palmer and his entire team in our Formula One adventure, and I look forward to starting the 2011 season together as Alliance partners."

Its likely Infiniti will get its moneys worth.  Infiniti has been a well-known luxury brand in the US for more than 20 years (1989), however it has only been a European brand since 2008. While Formula One isn’t breaking records in the US, it is huge in Europe and the rest of the world. The latest figures indicate record numbers for the 2010 season, with just over 527 million viewers globally.  Redbull Renault was on top of their game last year (2010), winning both the F1 Drivers Championship (Sebastian Vettel) and the Constructors Championship titles. That could mean lots of TV time and prestige for the front running RedBull F1 team and it’s sponsors for 2011.